Focuses on what is taught (subject matter), why it is taught (understanding), how knowledge should be organized to develop expertise, teacher developed learning goals
Emphasize "connected" knowledge (connects advanced principles to basic underlying concepts) in order to achieve expertise organization of knowledge is key
Requires teacher to go beyond the textbook to help students see structure to the knowledge
Activity Example: Connecting Genetics to the Student
After learning about dominant and recessive alleles, students can do an activity to look at dominant and recessive genes within their own family, or a celebrity family. Students will record what traits are dominant in their family (i.e. mom has brown eyes dad has blue, daughter has brown so brown is dominant). In this way students see how genetics affect their own unique characteristics and can relate it to the topic.
What Does it Mean to be Knowledge-Centered?
Characteristics:
Activity Example: Connecting Genetics to the Student
After learning about dominant and recessive alleles, students can do an activity to look at dominant and recessive genes within their own family, or a celebrity family. Students will record what traits are dominant in their family (i.e. mom has brown eyes dad has blue, daughter has brown so brown is dominant). In this way students see how genetics affect their own unique characteristics and can relate it to the topic.